What happened to your kid’s pencil case? Maybe you should ask Greg Wade, President of the Philadelphia Home and School Council. Wade was arrested and charged Monday with stealing over $122,000 worth of home and school council funds. That’s a lot of pencils, pens, textbooks, rulers and other school supplies and equipment snatched right out of the hands of Philadelphia School District students.
FYI: Wade volunteered for his role as President of the council, he was not on the district payroll.
Along with two $15,000 checks Wade allegedly forged, and another $60,000 he's accused of taking, over time, from 3 different council accounts. Wade also forged his John Hancock on a bad check worth over $32,000 to jump behind the wheel of a 2009 Dodge Journey, according to Philadelphia police.
Wade’s powers of persuasion may have also brought more buck ($$) to his bank. He convinced one council official to sign blank checks, which Wade then deposited into his own personal bank account, school district sources claim.
Mayor Nutter’s office was tipped off to Wade’s scam after a complaint was filed by one of Wade’s former secretaries. This is when the investigation by Mayor Nutter’s office and Philadelphia police began back in October.
The complaint came after Wade allegedly wrote two $15,000 checks to pay off two secretaries he didn’t have the power to hire in the first place.
Wade also promised the secretaries they would be put on the district pay roll, but they never were. After both $15,000 checks bounced, both secretaries bounced right on out of there.
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That’s when one of the women went to the Mayor’s office and filed a complaint.
Apparently, the two women were Wade’s sister-in-law and stepdaughter (Philly.com).
The Home and School council heads home and school associations at public and charter schools all over Philadelphia. These associations are made up of parents who come up with fundraising ideas such as bake sales, candy sales, carnivals and talent shows that help to buy school supplies and equipment.
“I don’t think this should deter parents from getting involved with Home and School. Nothing should deter parents from that,” said Sandra Dungee Glenn, chairwoman of the School Reform Commission.
